Owned by the City of New York, the High Line is a public park maintained, operated, and programmed by Friends of the High Line, in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

An Award in Honor of the Great Jane Jacobs

By Kate LindquistJuly 20, 2010

Joshua David and Robert Hammond

We have good news to share. On July 20, 2010, the Rockefeller Foundation announced Joshua David, Robert Hammond, and Elizabeth Barlow Rogers are the recipients of the 2010 Jane Jacobs Medals.

The Foundation awards the Medals each year to recipients whose work "creates new ways of seeing and understanding New York City, challenges traditional assumptions, and creatively uses the urban environment to make New York City a place of hope and expectation."

The Medals are named for Jane Jacobs, whose seminal 1961 work, "The Death and Life of Great American Cities," challenged the conventional wisdom of city planners of that era, celebrated the vibrancy of the urban streetscape, and advocated for citizen involvement in the development of neighborhoods.

Jane Jacobs changed the way we look at the future of our cities. For people who've dedicated their lives to New York City, to be given an award in Jane Jacobs's name is a deeply meaningful honor.

In previous years, the Foundation has awarded two medals: one for New Ideas and Activism and another for Lifetime Leadership. This year, the New Ideas and Activism award is being given to both Joshua and Robert, while Elizabeth is receiving the award for Lifetime Leadership.

It is a particular honor for Joshua and Robert to be recognized with Elizabeth, the founding President of the Central Park Conservancy and current President of the Foundation for Landscape Studies. Elizabeth’s vision for park stewardship created a model for public-private partnerships to restore and improve both large and small urban parks worldwide. Elizabeth has supported Friends of the High Line from the very beginning, and the High Line would not be here today without her dedication and support.

Thank you to the Rockefeller Foundation for recognizing Joshua, Robert, and Elizabeth with these Medals, and for the very generous support it has given to Friends of the High Line.

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Friends of the High Line raises 98% of the High Line’s annual budget.
Owned by the City of New York, the High Line is a public park maintained, operated, and programmed by Friends of the High Line, in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.